Couple of more points. Back in the cold war the USN and USAF air wings had the AGM-78 Standard ARM, basically a SM-1 missile with an improved Shrike anti-radar seeker. These were capable of being deployed from A-6B, USAF F-4Gs and from Warships. Way back in the 60 the AS-37 MARTEL armed RAF Bucks and French Mirages and had greater range that the US Shrike (although much lower speed). Of course in 83 the AGM-88 HARM came in to use with even greater range.
Another point all those Russian super ASMs with 300 mile ranges need SOMETHING to find their targets for them, a Bear, a Satellite, a sub whatever. You kill him those missile's ranges get reduced to the range of their carrier's sensors, probably something like 50 miles at most well within Harpoon range and nearly Exocet range (40 miles).
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Originally Posted by MBot
It is also interesting that no one commented yet on the ASuW capabilities of the USN ships themselfe. Would you agree that those ships were never meant to engage vessels of simmilar size themselfe? I always thought USN ships are extremly underarmed in that regard, a Virginia CGN or Tico CG have basically the same ASuW capabilities as the old Pegasus PHM. The only ships that realy stood out in that regard were the modernised Iowa BBs (16 Harpoon, 32 Thomahawks and the guns).
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I was just about to mention that but got called in to work:
In a Surface vs. Surface fight everyone talks about the greater number of SSMs on Russian cruisers but no one talks about the number of SSMs and NATO frigates... yes I said frigates no quit giving me that look! The only Russian frigate to carry SSMs was the Krivak and that was at the cost of their ASW missiles (four total). In fact until the Sovermenny DDGs Russian Destroyers were all gun or AAW ships. (Ok yes there were four Kildins armed with six SS-N-1s and a few converted to that design.) NATO had tons of small ocean going ships with Harpoon or Exocet missiles. Perrys, Knoxs, Broadswords, Amazons, Leanders, Wielingens etc had around four ASMs each (some could carry SAMs or ASROCS in place of them for added flexibility).
If I was commanding a Soviet Task Force against a NATO Task Force with out a US Super Carrier I would be worried about three things:
A US or UK SSN blasting my @$$ Belgano style.
UK Harriers downing my Ka-25/28 helis or Bear support robbing me of my OTH capability.
Every warship in the NATO TF sending between 4-8 Harpoons at my one missile cruiser.
A Soviet Missile Cruiser is kinda like the Bismarck. It can do a lot of damage but everyone it faces will pick at it just a little till it bleeds to death.